Blended Learning (part online and part in-person) is a convenient option for the busy student and professional. This program has been particularly enjoyed by Healthcare Providers. However, if you are a student looking for a BLS course offered by the American Heart Association (AHA), you will have noticed some changes recently. This post will explain the changes and aim to improve understanding.

On June 1, 2016, the AHA discontinued the “BLS for Healthcare Providers Online Part 1” course. This course has been replaced by BLS HeartCode Online Part 1 This means that AHA Training Centers/Sites are now offering 2 different types of BLS Skills Sessions. One, “BLS for Healthcare Providers Skills Session” is for students who completed the associated Online Part 1 prior to June 1, 2016. Two, “BLS HeartCode Skills Session” is for students who complete the BLS HeartCode Online Part 1.

What are the differences? Why should it matter?

The original course, “BLS for Healthcare Providers Online Part 1” had a relatively short Skills Session. This session consisted of practice, Q&A, and hands-on testing. Some students with extensive Healthcare experience could complete this in about 30 minutes. Feedback varied. Many students enjoyed the quick option, some did not. Administrators noticed a decline in efficacy. Skills Sessions could be offered for a relatively low-cost to both student and Training Center/Site.

The new course, “BLS HeartCode Online Part 1” by contrast, has a longer Skills Session. This Session will involve video segments, Team Dynamics exercises and more elaborate hands-on testing. This session will last about 2 hours. This new session represents a significant cost increase to Training Centers/Sites and thus, will increase the cost for students. This cost increase is the result of higher materials cost and the nessecity to pay an instructor for signifigantly more time (a 300% increase in instructor time per session!)

So, why would anyone bother with the new BLS HeartCode Online/Skills? One, CE credits (up to 1.75 hours) are now available for successful completion. Two, the new Classroom course, BLS Provider, is about 4 hours long, so time with an instructor is less as part of the course is done on the student’s own time.